Steps to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

By Rawan Albina (@RawanAlbina)

It is that time of the year again where a chapter is closing and another one is about to start. It is the beginning of 2010 and everyone is busy formulating their new year’s resolutions.

There is something about beginnings that fascinates us. They symbolize hope, forgiveness, a second chance, erasing mistakes and a fresh start. The unknown and the uncertainty of the year ahead carry so much excitement and sometimes anxiety.

So in the hustle and bustle of closing the year, we always try to find the time to at least write few things we would like to accomplish in the New Year. We all have our different styles in laying down our goals but the question I would like to challenge you with is: Will you stick to them? If the answer is yes then how will you do that?

I love this time of the year because it allows me to sit down with myself and my clients and really dream about what the year ahead may hold. So many exciting possibilities!

Here is the process I follow and I recommend you follow as well.

1-    Score: Look at the different areas in your life: Health and wellbeing, career, finances, family, friends, significant other, personal development, fun and recreation and last but not least, physical environment (elements in your physical environment include your house, car, office, wardrobe, etc.). Rate each one of these areas on a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means you are totally unsatisfied and 10 you are completely satisfied. The aim is not to have a 10 in every single area of your life but to gage where you are at this particular point in time. Basically, it should be a snapshot of your life right now.

2-    Focus & choose: Based on your scores, choose one to three areas you would like to create change in, in 2011. The areas you choose might not necessarily have the lowest scores but they are usually the areas you wish to improve. You might have a 3 in one area but it does not bother you because it is exactly where you want it to be whereas you might wish to change a 7 to an 8 somewhere else. There is no right or wrong. It is about what you need and what you believe would be most helpful to you in the next stage of your life.

3-    Question: Once your choice is made, it is time for you to set your goals in these areas. Here are few questions you can ask yourself before you start writing your goals down. Remember to be honest in your answers and stay true to yourself. No one else will see these goals so answering the questions truthfully will help you create resolutions you can really stick to.

• What makes my score in this particular area lower than I would like it to be?
• How important is it for me to make a change in this area?
• Will I be making this change for myself or for others?
• How have I let myself down?
• How am I sabotaging my own efforts?
• What do I say to myself when I do not reach what I set out to achieve?
• How will I feel once I succeed?
• What will help me to stay motivated? (Clue: your motivation is closely connected to things you are passionate about)
• What kind of support do I need to make this happen?

4-    Set Goals: Once you have answered all these questions, you are ready to set your goals. While writing them down, make sure your goals include a process that helps you in achieving them.

The issue with goals is that we see them as a destination. We stay focused on reaching that destination that we miss out on the journey. It is not about succeeding or failing; it is about trying your best and knowing that you are enjoying the process, learning from it and growing as a human being.

You CAN stick to your new year’s resolutions. Here is how:

• Make sure they are stated in the positive. Say I will do something instead of I will not do something.
• Make sure they are started and completely controlled by you from beginning to end, i.e., no one else is involved in making them happen.
• Last but not least, for you to really stick to them, your resolutions must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Resonant and Thrilling! Unless you are excited about them and have the internal motivation to make them happen, they will slip away.

Make 2011 the year where you will definitely stick to your New Year’s resolutions!

———-
Rawan Albina is a Dubai-based professional coach. You can learn more about her and her work by:
– Visiting her website www.leapconsultancy.ae
– Follow her on Twitter @RawanAlbina
– Or join her Facebook Fan Page “Life on a Treadmill”
———-

Here We Start – Just Another Undergrad – Living Through The Eyes of Art – Microscopic Me
Scenes From Life – Society of Tomorrow – Words, Observations, and Ramblings – Spotlights